As album sales fall, veteran artists rise

More than 50 years into her recording career, Barbra Streisand has broken her own record.

At 72, the superstar is the first artist to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s chart of best-selling albums in six consecutive decades. “Partners,” a collection of duets pairing her with noted male singers, sold 196,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan ― also giving Streisand the best sales week of any female artist this year.

In addition to being the latest in the icon’s long string of accomplishments, Streisand’s victory highlights a recent sales trend: Older artists, or artists who attract older audiences, are often beating out younger counterparts to top the album chart.